It may have been a lonnnng time ago but I still remember the walk to school I had when I was a child. We lived on a ridiculously long road and the walk to school felt more like a trek (it was a half hour walk) but the journey was made more enjoyable by walking to friend’s houses and picking them up en route. We’d have a good old natter about anything and everything to pass the time before greeting the Lollipop lady who’d help us safely across the main road to school.

That very same road is still part of our school run now (20 years or so later) and up until very recentl,y there was a very dear Lollipop man who helped children safely across the road. Unfortunately, he retired at the end of January and the area is now Lollipop-less so to speak.

It seems that we are not alone in this.

Lollipoppers have begun to dwindle in recent years and this has been down to a UK legislation that was passed back in 2000 stating that they were no longer a legal requirement for schools.

According to research conducted by Churchill, one-third (32 percent) of parents revealed that a Lollipopper had been removed from their local area with a further 61 percent stating that no crossing alternatives had been put in place.

It’s such a shame that we are losing these valuable Lollipoppers. They should be a part of every child’s journey to school and as a parent, it would give me peace of mind and reassurance knowing that they were there to help my child cross the road safely. From Churchill’s research, 91 percent of parents see a Lollipopper being safer than a zebra or pedestrian crossing.

Churchill are looking to redress this balance and want to make the school run safer. They are giving funding to 50 schools to enable them to have their own Lollipopper. I have already nominated our school and you can nominate yours too simply by visiting www.churchill.com/lollipoppers

Let’s try and get Lollipoppers back helping children cross the road safely.

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